Brady to meet Trapattoni to discuss role in Ireland set-up

LIAM Brady will this week meet up with Giovanni Trapattoni to discuss his role in the new Ireland management set-up.

Brady said he was looking forward to meeting his old Juventus boss after Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger had given his Head of Youth Development the go-ahead to contribute to Trapattoni’s work as Ireland manager.

“(Wenger) has given me the green light to go ahead to speak to Trapattoni, as long as I don’t feel it’s going to interfere with what I do at Arsenal” said Brady.

“Arsene said that as long as it didn’t interfere with my work at the club he is happy for me to do it.

“I’m going to see Trapattoni to see whether we can work something out and to find out what he wants.

“Arsene Wenger has kindly said the final decision is up to me.”

Brady once again confirmed that Trapattoni had consulted him when the Italian was first contacted by Don Givens about the vacant Irish job.

Said Brady: “He asked me about the players and I told him that we had a team capable of finishing second in the World Cup qualifying group.

“When he took the job he contacted me and asked me to come on board so we are now taking it a stage further.”

Brady’s is expected to be a general manager’s role and he has already indicated that one of his first jobs might be to try to entice recent Irish retirees and absentees – notably Liverpool’s Steve Finnan and Manchester City’s Stephen Ireland – back into the international fold.

Meanwhile, an early worry for Trapattoni will be the news that Shay Given had to be substituted at half-time in Newcastle United’s defeat to Manchester United on Saturday with a recurrence of a groin strain he sustained in the 4-1 defeat by Aston Villa.

The new Ireland manager will be alarmed by the fact that Given has suffered intermittent groin problems since he required surgery for a perforated bowel after colliding with West Ham’s Marlon Harewood in a September 2006 game.